Opinions on choosing a saw to cut scale blanks

So Now that my exotic wood pile is growing and I have no good way of cutting it into 1/8" thick blanks I've decided to buy an entry level table saw or band saw. I do have a scroll saw that I've been using to cut shapes out of blanks I've bought that are already the right thickness, but no matter how hardbi try or what jigs I make I can't successfully cut perfect blanks with it. I also have a decent hand planer but that doesn't do quite as good a job as I'd like.

So basically I'm looking for an entry level table or band saw. What would be the better choice? Any recommendations for a sub-$200 saw? I'm thinking of the Ryobi 12S or whatever it is tabla saw. I don't want to pay the price for pre cut blanks anymore. With shipping they cost me about $20-30 per set of scales. The exotic wood place near me has everything and I can get enough beautiful wood to make many types for that price. Thanks for any help.

See this ???
Zero Clearance Inserts - Rockler Woodworking Tools

You need one

see this???

Thin Rip Tablesaw Jig - Rockler Woodworking Tools

You should have that also...


A table saw does this job the best, I have all three Band, Table, and Scroll...

For cutting thin blanks the table saw is way better,, but to do it safely and accurately you need those attachments and a thin kerf carbide blade...


Buy a saw that is on those lists for the insert, life is easier.. Woodcraft has them also...

I just bought a very good 14 inch king industrial band saw. I have a table saw and when I pay up to 90 dollars a board ft for exotic wood I dont want to feed 1/8 th of an inch to the blade everytime I was cutting on the table saw. This band saw is a cadilac yes I paid 800 bucks for it but Ill have it the rest of my life and it wont be wore out and will do the job I want. you can get a smaller 14 inch for say 350 to 400 and I would do that before feeding my mun ebony to the table saw. Kellyw

Both answers above sum up the issues, I personally recommend against the table saw for your $200 budget. The saws you get at that price aren't designed for accurate cutting, they're more for building rough projects, portability, making decks and other misc. renovation work. They're basically naked circular saws bolted to a table. Ripping wood is what the band saw is primarily designed to do, and what the table saw is most dangerous to be used for. The low budget tablesaws tend to have poor fence systems that are more or less left to the operator to fully lock in place in a perfect parallel to the blade (assuming you're lucky and got a decent one where the blade is straight). This only further increases the risks of the material getting pinched between the blade and the fence and flying at you at speeds you won't enjoy. If you do go tablesaw please follow glen's advice and do as many modifications as you can to increase safety. Otherwise you're looking at a piece of iron wood or snakewood to the face, it would just be a matter of time.

With this budget the table may do better than the bandsaw. but in real world bandsaw is best choice.


with what you got; imo you'd be better off with a 200 dollar hand saw, and a magnetic jig like Spazola fixed up. seriously:beer2:alcohol powered tools

I use a "top of the line" Harbor Freight table saw, which cost me around $800, for all of my woodworking. HF is CHEAP stuff, no doubt about it, but some of it is surprisingly.....serviceable. RobertH's comments about the smaller tabletop saw is right on. They are noisy, out of alignment and difficult to modify for most serious woodworking.

HF makes a very inexpensive table top bandsaw that I know a lot of bowyers (archery bow makers) use with satisfactory results. With a 1/2" blade that might work, but make sure you put a tall fence on it and have the blade guides set right.

I think a better table saw is still your first choice.

Goog

Thanks everyone. That's why I like to ask first. I'll go buy something good today, I was just thinking a cheap saw would work for what I wanted, didn't know of the issues with them. So yeah I'll get a decent setup, and if my gf ends up talking me out of it I'll just use the hand saw method and see how long I can hold out before the inevitable trip to home depot or wherever.

Try to find a better store than home depot to buy your saw. Hone depot doesn't carry the better brands, and sometime you can get a great deal on something at a more specialised equipment store than even home depot.

If you buy any major equipment from Harbor Freight get their 2 year replacement plan and get it replaced every 2 years. I have used their band saw for cutting wood as well as metal with out too many issues for other projects. Need to make a fence for cutting blanks.

I'm in Toronto, there's no harbor freight here and I'm not interested in paying the shipping on something like that. Is a bandsaw not difficult to keep straight? From what ive seen, they all have flex in the blade unless it's an industrial type I've seen in machine shops.

Try any of the stores listed on this list first:

Ontario

If they have General brand equipment they'll have other good brands too.

Take a piece of what you want to rip in with you and the guys in the shop will get you sorted out I'm sure for your budget. Sometimes if they're like the store I go to here (KMS Tools) they'll even let you rent equipment to try it out and see if it does what you want.

Get yourself a good used Delta saw. They're not the highest high end but they're good workhorses and they're pretty plentiful.

so is a jig saw not good for cutting scales?

Deans,

A jig saw is great for sawing shapes, but very challenged in ripping stock to the thicknesses you cut the shapes from. Resawing, cutting stock into narrower pieces from thick material, is the bandsaw's forte. For production work a wide, stiff blade is best, but if you take your time, a 1/4" blade will work just fine. When I was a kid I sawed up all kinds of tree parts on my Dad's 14" Delta bandsaw to make boards for projects. Once I had the basic board, I could refine it on the jointer and table saw. On wide stock I did a lot of hand planing.

:beer2:

Yikes, yeah jigsaw not the right kind of saw for ripping wood, sorry. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find lots of use for your jigsaw in other areas. Like cutting out the shape for the scales (if you've got it well clamped and go slow).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by burns420

Is a bandsaw not difficult to keep straight? From what ive seen, they all have flex in the blade unless it's an industrial type I've seen in machine shops.

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You are correct. It isn't easy to keep a PERFECTLY straight cut unless you have a great setup for it (wide blade, good fence, etc.).

A certain amount of blade flex is normal, and will not be the cause of you being incapable of cutting a straight line. if your pushing hard enough to have problems with blade flex, your pushing too hard! Nice and easy does it, in its own way, its like honing. proper blade choice too! thinner materials, finer teeth etc.

Table saw is to large, blade to big even with a thin curf blade. Not to mention they get expensive. I have a couple blades that tip the scales over 150. You hands will be danger close to that blade unless you build yourself a jig. I use a Jet 14 inch bandsaw with big motor. Get a Kreg fence for it, some good blades and you are set. Do not try to run the cheap stamped blades, they cut like, well, they cut bad. I use a ½ inch blade for resawing and a ¼ inch blade for cutting scales. 3/8 blade is good for about everything. No problems resawing 5 inch thick cocobolo.

with a properly set band saw all lined up and tight with a 1./2 inch blade you can easily cut 5 inch thick cocbolo or ironwood into 1/2 inch pieces without the scales being messed up . kellyw

So long as you don't mind spending 6 or 7 minutes per blank.. I find this works nicer than power tools ;)


http://www.adrian.edu/%7Ebmaggard/368.JPG

only problem Brad is you are not using the rip teeth. the crosses work obviously, but if you will get used to the rippers it will work sooo much better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HELLGAP

with a properly set band saw all lined up and tight with a 1./2 inch blade you can easily cut 5 inch thick cocbolo or ironwood into 1/2 inch pieces without the scales being messed up . kellyw

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I think Kelly made a good point that is not discussed much, that is the set-up of the saw. On a band saw it is worth taking the time to make sure the wheels are on the same plane, the guides are adjusted, the tension is correct and you have a decent blade for the task on hand. On a table saw having the motor and fence lined up and square and a decent blade. You will get the most out whatever tool you have if it is tuned up. There are numerous good books on setting your tools so that you can get the most out what you have.

Charlie

Would a 1/4" or 3/8" bandsaw blade work okay or is it necessary to have something wider?

You could do some re-sawing with a large tooth 3/8 blade but you will be limited to smaller stock. Depending on the wood, probably no larger than 2 inch tall. Motor is very important as well. Setup is also critical. There are entire books on how to properly set up a bandsaw.

Woodcraft has a Rikon 14 bandsaw with a 1 1/2 horse motor onsale for $700 right now. Good saw.

This is my bandsaw. I have it hooked into a 4 inch dust collection system that runs around my workshop.

So I ended up getting a Delta from my boss for nothing, it was in the back shop and I asked if he'd sell it but he told me I could just take it. No one really uses it anyway so it's almost new. Looks to be one of there better ones, 14" but definitely higher quality than the Delta stuff I see at Lowes and HOme Depot. 1/2" blade on there now and it works great. It cuts up blocks of micarta and wood like nothing and dead straight at 1/8" or thinner. I don't know why I didn't get one of these sooner.

burns that delta is a great bandsaw not the best but wish I had a boss that gave me mine. Charlie thanks for the pat on the back . I spent 1 hour getting my saw set perfect its so important . I think a 1/2 inch is pretty much the blade to have or you will wonder to much . I have 3 blades my best blade is a bi metal 18 tpi it will cut steel but I got it for cutting g11. kellyw

Yeah it's definitely good enough for me. Best thing is he had the guy set it all up for him with some upgrades so i don't have to set the thing up or allign it. I was wrong about it, it is the same as the home depot ones just has some improvements. It's the X5 model, but it has a riser kit on it and some other parts he upgraded from the original like a better fence and table with stronger hardware and all that stuff. Can't wait to give it a good try this weekend with the wood pile I've got sitting here.